The Shimmering
by Vespeva
Summary: Wonka hadn't planned on Charlie and his grandfather to help themselves to his gosh-darn fizzy lifting drinks. He hadn't planned on Violet actually listening to her mother and winning his factory. Madness and sanity, betrayal and loyalty, love and war. The duo explore the duality of life and push one another to their limits, but just where do those limits lie? Dark!Wonka/AU
1. Chapter 1: Regret

**The Shimmering**

 **Chapter 1:** Regret

 **Rated:** T

 **A/N:** Hi all! It's been a while since I've posted anything. However, I've been working on this for almost exactly a year. I've written a lot of it, including the ending however it's far from finished. Figured I'd start posting it anyway, to give me a kick on the path to actually getting it finished. Enjoy!

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Regret.

"Well that's just.. Unexpected.." Wonka's voice quivered, much like a child's, eyes shimmering all shades of blue and violet that expressed an unreadable mix of emotions. Regret tinged his features most, followed by surprise? Dismay? Violet shifted uncomfortably in her mother's tight grip, unnerved by the disarmed chocolatier.

The atmosphere grew tense in the quiet room, silence punctured only by a constant fizzing and bubbling sound that surrounded them.

"I- um, s'pose that means you've won?"

Momentarily forgetting the events that had just passed, Violet grinned up at her mother, searching for indications of approval on her face. Her mother's piercing gaze was trained on Wonka.

"Oh, how wonderful! Violet, you've won! So what's this prize, Mr. Wonka?" Her voice was slightly breathless with greed.

His eyes did not leave Violet. "My entire factory." Came a weak voice.

Another toothy grin, chomping down on a squishy piece of gum that sounded similar to the squeaking of Wonka's gloves as he nervously fidgeted. "I told ya I would win the special prize at the end! So, what, I'm the new owner? How's this thing gonna work?"

He crouched down so that he was level with her. Violet seized up once again as Wonka's eyes met hers. They were the type of eyes that made her want to shrink further into her mother's arms. The type that made her believe he was looking through all of her thoughts, picking out all the rotten ones.

"Are you really gonna leave _everything_ behind and come live with me at the factory?" There was a slight emphasis on the word 'everything'.

Wonka hadn't planned for _her_ to be the winner. He hadn't planned for Charlie and his goshdarn grandfather to 'help themselves' to the fizzy lifting drinks and get themselves trapped on the ceiling. He had planned for her to take the gum, not for her to listen to him. Although he recognized certain parts of her that would undoubtedly be good for business, she was far from what he'd imagined would one day take over the factory. That slight emphasis was his way of giving her the option to leave if she wanted to.

" _Live_ with you?" Squish. Squish. Nose wrinkled and eyes wide as she chewed her gum.

"Yah."

"Mother?" Violet looked up to her grown doppleganger, a frantic expression on her features.

"Uh, little girl.. Yer mother is included on the list of things you hafta leave behind."

Ms. Beauregarde's smile dropped briefly, but it picked up again after a split second. "Oh, Violet! How wonderful! Of course.." _Nudge_. "..She will come and live with you."

"..Marvelous." Came another weak response. "Well, we best move along. Lotsa stuff to do before the day's out."

* * *

"This is yer new room.." Wonka's hands fluttered around the side of his hair again. "Do you like it?"

Violet walked in, scanning the room. There really had been a lot to do before the day was out. Forms to sign, things to prepare and finally a mother to say goodbye to. A mother who looked quite happy to be leaving her in a strange country with a strange man in a strange factory all alone.

The bedroom was a dream come true. Almost like something you'd see on one of those really over the top interior design magazines, but even more spectacular. A bed on top of a platformed structure sat in the centre of the room, with a ladder to go up and a slide to go down. Underneath the platform was an 'office' type area with a desk, whiteboards and a fluffy purple couch. Toys and teddy bears were arranged around the room. Large bookcases that went from the ceiling to the floor. Full length windows, half covered by thick curtains and walls spattered with quirky decorations and paintings. In one corner of the room, there was a telescope to look out at all the stars.

Hesitantly, Violet walked in further and cleared her throat. She had barely uttered a single word since she found out what she was in for. The young girl was overwhelmed by everything. The room, the factory, but it still couldn't distract her from the one thought that was at the forefront of her mind.

"Wonka?" She asked.

"Yah?" He answered too quickly. Violet turned around to look at him, tilting her head to the side as she looked over to the strange man standing in the door frame.

"Why didn't Charlie have a song?"

Wonka's eyes widened slightly, and a sudden giggle burst from his mouth. "Oh, that. I dunno, guess the Oompa Loompas didn't really think anything was _wrong_ with him. Who knows?" His words were pointed, and Violet caught his implications. She glared.

"I'm not stupid, you really think I'd believe that?"

"Maybe. If you're not stupid, then you can go ahead and figure it out for yerself then." His grin widened. Violet felt a thrill of fear, she thought he looked like an alligator right before it snatched up and chomped down on it's prey. He suddenly raised his eyebrows, teeth still fully revealed. "Hungry?"

"No." Violet felt sick.

"Too bad, kiddo. I've already organised a congratulatory dinner. Let's not waste it."

The two made their way to the dining room in the Wonkavator. The room was well-lit, with huge windows that overlooked the vast expanse of nothingness that sat behind the factory.

A long table sat in the middle of the room, with one chair on each end. Wonka sat on one end, and Violet sat on the other. An Oompa Loompa came out and whispered in the Chocolatier's ear, who nodded in response. The Oompa Loompa scurried away. Violet would still have to get used to the sight of tiny little humanoid figures.

Wonka rested his elbows on the table, fingertips resting on each other. He watched Violet with an emotionless expression. The young girl's throat tightened as the realisation that she was really and truly alone with him. The lack of any distractions and dialogue drummed that into her, and she shrank into her seat and squeezed her eyes shut.

I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home.

The thought repeated in her head, as if it would come true if she said it enough. Click her heels three times, and be magically transported home.

She opened her eyes. Nope, she was definitely not home. The chocolatier across from her now wore a slight smirk.

"I'm not the enemy, Violet. You are free to stay, or leave, as you please."

Violet inhaled deeply. She couldn't leave. She knew she couldn't. Not on his account, but her own. She was far too proud for a bit of fear to get to her. She had been in many competitions, won countless trophies and awards, but she was no stranger to anxiety and fear. The only difference was that she had an adult to guide (or push her forcefully) through that fear to get to the prize. Violet was on her own now, so she'd need to give herself that push.

"I'll stay."


	2. Chapter 2: Pride

The Shimmering

Chapter 2: Pride

Rated: T

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! Just to clarify, this is 2005 Wonka. I've used a few 1971 references as a filler to what the 2005 version doesn't have. Enjoy 3

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"Good morning, starshine!"

She rolled over and pulled the new-smelling, stiff covers over her head.

She heard footsteps, loud heels against the tiled floor.

"C'mon now, little girl. Lotsa stuff to do today." Wonka's voice was a sweet falsetto, struggling to mask annoyance.

"I'm tired. I wanna sleep in." Came a muffled, groggy voice.

"I'll tip a bucket of water on you if ya don't get up. You're the new heir to the factory, Violet. That means no dillying _or_ dallying! Kay?"

Violet threw off the covers, and glared down at Wonka over the side of the bed.

"Fine."

Violet met Wonka outside of her room once she was showered and changed. He began walking immediately down the corridor and into the waiting glass elevator, idly chatting about some of his new inventions. Violet sullenly followed the bubbly man, not taking much in at all.

"Why'd you say yes?" That question startled Violet out of her thoughts. She hesitated.

"You don't want to be here, so why'd you say yes?" He continued.

"I- I don't know. My mother wanted me to. And, I'm tryna embrace more opportunities..."

"You don't seem like the kind of gal that does what people say even when ya don't like it."

"I'm not, and I don't! But it's my mother, and nothing I could ever do would make her as proud as this would.."

"Why do you care how proud she is? The only reason I'm in this factory is because I didn't care about my d- d- fathe- his pride."

"By saying yes I would be the perfect daughter in her eyes. I'd be a winner. I'd be famous. I'd be successful. And I'd be out of her hair." Violet said quietly, dropping off into a sigh at the end.

"Consider this your very first lesson. In fact, this will be your most important lesson. You answer to one person only. You are only concerned about one person being proud. Only this person's opinions matter. You must rely on this person alone. Do you know who that is, Violet?"

"You?"

There was a flicker of surprise in Wonka's eyes. "Oh, no. It's you."

"Oh." Violets eyebrows raised. "Me?"

"Mhm. It's all you. But.. It can be me too. I never considered someone making me proud.. But I suppose all those things _can_ apply to me as well. We're working toward a common goal here. I want to shape you into the world's next greatest chocolatier. So we're a team!"

"And what if I don't make you proud?"

"Then try to make yourself proud at least, little girl. Let's move along, now. I wanna show you something."

The two walked quietly down the hall and into the Wonkavator. Wonka pressed the 'Candy 101' button. Violet eyed the button next to it, named 'TOPPEST OF SECRETS'.

"What's that one?" She asked.

"It's a secret, duh."

"Will I get to see it?"

"Hm.. yeah, I suppose you will one day. I dunno when that'll be, probably after the theory and prac. Once you have a fundamental understanding of candy and how to make it."

The two arrived at the Candy 101 room. It was a library-like room, with a mini classroom in the middle. A classroom one teacher's desk and one student desk.

"We'll start learning on Monday. You'll have the weekend to settle in, look around a lil bit more, etc.. Now, would you prefer to be homeschooled or nonhomeschooled?"

"Uh.." Violet had never been homeschooled. At the same time, she had only attended one school in which she wasn't all too popular. "I dunno."

"Well in that case, we'll start with homeschooling. To begin with. That way I can incorporate the things you need to know about candy and running an empire with the standard school stuff. There's just so much to learn in so little time."

Running an empire. Violet liked the sound of that. Wonka noticed.


End file.
